Little Changes
by A. Lynne
Summary: It was the last thing Jackson had expected to happen. Looking back, he would find it to be the worst two months of his life. And it was all because of one little box...
1. Chapter 1

Hi, everyone :)

This is my first fiction in this category, so I'm a little hesitant to post this right now. I understand that it's an extremely short chapter, but I wanted to test this out first and see your reactions. I promise, if you all like it, the later chapters will be much longer. I hope you all enjoy it, and please review!

-

It was the last thing Jackson had expected to happen. Looking back, he would find it to be the worst two months of his life. And it was all because of one little box…

-

Jackson's eyes curiously scanned across the lid of the rusted tin box. It had been one of the last things he had expected to find on this deserted island, because tin boxes just _didn't_ grow on trees. _Someone_ had once been – and maybe still was – here. Maybe that person had found a way out. Just _maybe_ a plane had flew over and rescued him, making this insufferable island not actually unknown.

Thoughts ran through his mind as he watched Eric's hands caressing the box protectively, and he secretly wished that Eric would disappear off the face of the Earth because, _man_, did he want to open it himself and unfold the hidden secrets within.

Jackson made a hesitant reach for the box, however Lex suddenly urged, "No Eric! Don't open it! It could be an old ammo box from World War II, or something! The pressure could have built up inside and it could explode!" The preteen's hands went up in a placid manner, and he backed off, "Seriously, Eric."

Eric, though, rolled his eyes and snickered quietly, "You just want it for yourself!"

He picked up his screwdriver from the ground and placed it between the lid and the side, ready with a hammer, in the other hand, to pound it open.

"Eric…" Jackson warned, having changed his mind after what Lex had advised. The last thing that they needed on this island was another person hurt or even killed, "Don't…"

But Eric's hand had already come down with the hammer, and for a split second, they could only hear the "clink" of the tool hitting the screwdriver. But then, exploding into their ears and bodies, they could only hear and feel the white hot blast that erupted as the box ripped open.

And all too quickly, it was over. All five of them (Jackson, Lex, Eric, Nathan and Melissa) lay, stunned, on the ground.

Nathan was the first to move. Slowly, he sat up, dazed, and wiped his hand down his face, "Is everyone alright?" He asked.

"I – uh… I think so." Was Eric's hesitant reply. He still rested on the ground, eyes closed, and Nathan couldn't tell if he did this because he was still recovering from the blast or because he was embarrassed and ashamed of what he had done. Nathan guessed the last.

"Oh, God." Melissa's soft voice cut into Nathan's thoughts, and he turned to her. It was only then that he recognized that she sat next to Jackson, who had yet to make a sound. Nathan and Lex crawled over to the pair, and even before they reached him, they could only see a large piece of rusted shrapnel lodged deep into Jackson's lower abdomen.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: **Just a little warning for you guys… as I read over this chapter, I kept getting the feeling that Jackson, and maybe some of the others, were a little OOC. I hope you all don't mind too much. It's a little hard though, since I've only seen a few episodes, to get these characters right. You know the drill: how they talk, how they act, how they _re_act, who would most likely say what to whom …

I guess I'm going to have to watch a few more episodes to get it completely right. But I promise I'll try to work on this in my next few chapters and possibly (if I make one), my next fiction.

But, anyway, I just wanted to say a quick thank you to all my reviewers! Thank you all so much – I'm sure you guys know how it feels to hear people say they like your work!…

So thank you to:

**tenelkajedinight**

**pinklen98**

**CorbinBleuRoxMySox**

**k8**

**phil m.**

**blazingfire03**

**Molly the Writer**

**I-Can-Spell-Confusion-With-A-K**

Now, enjoy:)

-

_It was only then that Nathan realized that Melissa sat next to Jackson, who had yet to make a sound. Nathan and Lex crawled over to the pair, and even before they reached him, they could see a large piece of rusted shrapnel lodged deep into Jackson's lower abdomen._

"Jackson? Jackson you've got to answer me, okay? Come on, wake up." Melissa said anxiously – _urgently_. Without a response she turned to the other boys, who sat – scared – at a distance. Her voice wavered as she spoke, "You guys go and get Daley. Hurry!"

Melissa watched the two boys, soon followed by a dazed Eric, scurry back to camp. She turned her attention back to Jackson, who was beginning to rouse, "Jackson, can you open your eyes for me?"

It took a moment, but his eyelids – slowly, painfully – slid open, only to reveal his disorientated stare. He didn't understand what had happened. He didn't understand why one minute he had been standing and the next, Melissa hovered over his crumpled body. And most of all, he didn't – _couldn't _– understand where the pain had come from. Radiating with such intenseness that it made it hard to breathe, Jackson could only concentrate on the white, hot agony that spread from his lower belly and into his back.

Jackson blinked, trying to make sense of the situation, and then tried earnestly to sit up. Melissa's hands, however, pushed him back down.

"No," she whispered, "Jackson, don't move so much, okay? You're a little hurt right now."

"Why…what …" he croaked. His voice, though, failed him and he couldn't form the rest of his sentence.

"Don't worry about that right now. You'll be alright, just calm down."

Jackson had always been one to keep his cool but today he felt his chest tighten, felt cold – so cold _–_ and _weak_. Pain and pressure weighted heavily on his stomach and he felt nauseous. _Why did he hurt so much?_ His breaths started to grow in number and his eyes darted around, trying to find an answer as to what had happened because, _God!_, no one would tell him!

"Jackson," Melissa's soft voice soothed him and pulled him back to reality for a moment, "Jackson, you need to listen to me." Her cool hands cupped his cheeks and adjusted his head so he was facing her, "Calm down. Everything is okay – you're okay – there's nothing to panic about. Just relax, Jackson. Deep breaths with me, okay? In, out, in…"

Just as his body started to lose its tension, the others (this time followed closely by Daley and Taylor) returned, running over the sandy hill. Daley was the first to reach them, and fought to maintain her composure when she saw him. However, the moment her eyes reached the shrapnel, they couldn't leave it, and she failed to notice Jackson's escalating unease once again.

"_Guys_," Melissa warned, "He's starting to panic. Back off."

Everyone took a step backwards except Daley, who was already carefully tearing Jackson's shirt around the metal then up to his collar. Remembering that her little brother stood a few feet away, however, she paused and said sternly,

"Lex, I need you to go back to camp with Taylor. We'll meet you back there soon." There was no way that she could let Lex's eyes glance at what even she was hesitant to see. And even more so, she couldn't let Taylor's "ew-ing" and screaming panic Jackson even more than what he already was.

Lex shook his head, "But – "

"No 'buts', Lex. I need you to do this for me."

"Da, you might need me for something – "

Jackson moaned involuntarily, his head tossing weakly from side to side, unaware of the conversation going on above him.

"Lex!" She yelled, the only thought in her mind being that she needed to help Jackson – and _fast_, "Just leave!"

Lex stood, perplexed that his sister would say something like that. He could help Jackson! He knew he was smarter than half the people on this island (and he wasn't boasting, he was just telling the truth!). _Why couldn't his sister just _believe_ him?_ He blinked, staring at her, then turned and walked back to camp, a glaring Taylor at his heels.

Daley turned back to the boy beneath him, "Jackson," she said to him, watching his legs kick and the heels of his shoes dig into the dirt. She knew that he couldn't help it, and was most likely oblivious to what was going on, but moving around – she knew – could only make his injury worse, "don't move around so much. I know it's hard not to, but you've got to listen to me, okay?"

He moaned again, eyes closed, but his feet ceased kicking out.

She turned her head to see if Lex and Taylor had gone, and seeing that they had, her trembling hands pulled his shirt off.

"Oh, God." Daley whispered, looking away. Melissa, beside her, took a collecting breath, trying to calm herself so Jackson wouldn't see or hear her apprehension.

"Everything's okay, Jackson," Melissa murmured to him, but found herself trying to convince _herself_ that everything was okay more than him. The metal was thick, dark and rusted with age. It had lodged itself at an angle, protruding only a few inches away from his hip bone. The blood had slowed its flowing and his skin around the shrapnel was red and irritated. Melissa looked away and whispered again, "You're doing great."

"I…" Daley began, but paused, lowering her voice and turning to the rest of her friends,

"I don't know what to do."


	3. Chapter 3

It's been a while, huh? Well, here's your next chapter! I hope you all enjoy!

**drivemewild - **welcome to the 29 Down fanfic world! Thank you very much for your comment! -- I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much as the last!

**othravenslyr - **you're right -- it's very hard to get Jackson's character down because we've never really seen him in this type of situation before. But I hope that I'm slowly getting better at his character... thank you so much for your review! Enjoy this chapter:)

**pinklen98 - **do you really think I'd make Jackson die??... evil grin :)

**asdf - **I'll try adding a bit more romance, especially if it pleases everyone!

**FerretGurl - **Lex is in this chapter, so no worries :)

**blazingfire03 -** thank you for your comment! I've finally updated, so enjoy!

**Molly the Writer - **haha, I'll try my best at making these chapter's longer. This one isn't too long, but I'm predicting that the next will be a bit more lengthy.

**CorbinBleuRoxMySox **and **bigmacsparkey** - thank you both for your comments! I hope you enjoy this chapter:)

-

"_Everything's okay, Jackson," Melissa murmured to him, but found herself trying to convince **herself** that everything was okay more than him. The metal was thin, dark and rusted with age. It had lodged itself at an angle, protruding only a few inches away from his hip bone. The blood had slowed its flowing and his skin around the shrapnel was red and irritated. Melissa looked away and whispered again, "You're doing great."_

"_I…" Daley began, but paused, lowering her voice and turning to the rest of her friends, _

"_I don't know what to do."_

-

"Doesn't Lex know all about first aid?" Nathan offered softly.

"I don't think first aid can heal this," Daley said, "We can't just leave this in his stomach. It will get infected…we'll need to pull it out…or something,"

Melissa shook her head, "I know I'm not a doctor, but I don't think you can just _pull _something like this out…"

"No," Jackson opened his eyes, which were hazy with pain. His voice wavered when he spoke, "I'm fine…don't touch it,"

Melissa smiled feebly down to him, taking his hand in hers, "Just relax, alright? We won't be taking it out right now,"

Daley smiled at him as well, "Yeah, we'll take care of you once we get you back to camp,"

She turned to Melissa, whose distraught face wouldn't turn from Jackson's, "Melissa, how're we getting him back to camp?"

"I…I don't know," She bit her lip in an attempt to keep it from trembling. In some twisted way, she knew this was all her fault. If only she had actually said something to Eric before he opened the box. Maybe if she had placed herself in between Jackson and Eric, then it would be her on the ground – like she deserved. Instead, she sat back like a fool and let this happen. And Jackson…

Would he even survive?

"Melissa? Melissa, we need to get him back to camp," Daley said, urgently. Melissa looked down to Jackson, who suddenly looked so awfully pale and limp. He had closed his eyes.

"Jackson?" Melissa whispered and shook her head – she couldn't believe that this was actually happening, "Jackson! Wake up!"

"Nathan!" Daley shouted to him, "Run back to camp and get a board… something we can carry him on!"

Melissa was unaware that Nathan had left, unaware that Daley was frantically trying to stop the bleeding on Jackson's stomach that had suddenly began to flow. All that she was aware of was Jackson's harsh breathing and his ashen face that stared blankly towards her.

-

The moment that they had gotten back to camp, Melissa broke down. Collapsing into a heap by the ruined plane, she at last let her grief over take her shaking body. _God, why did it have to be Jackson? _Before this, she had finally made up her mind – she was going to tell him how she felt. She was going to tell him how he made her laugh at the worst of times, how his secretive smile could cure her mood for days. How much she loved him.

But now his smile was twisted into a grimace of agony and his body was contorted with pain.

Would she ever get to tell him how she felt?

Melissa felt a hand on her shoulder, but she shunned away from it, too filled in her grief to see who it was.

"Mel?"

She cried louder, remembering how Jackson used to call her that and how he used to laugh with her and how his hugs were so warm and gentle.

The arms pulled her into an embrace and she realized, from his thin arms and muscled stomach, that it was Nathan.

"I'm sorry," Melissa said softly, wiping away her tears.

"Shh, don't be sorry," He held the back of her neck with his hand, the other stroking her back, "There's nothing to be sorry for."

"You should be with Jackson," Melissa looked up at him and shrugged off his hold, feeling the need to leave, "I should be with Jackson."

"Daley and Lex are with him right now."

"Lex?" Melissa asked, standing up. Nathan followed her.

"Yeah, Lex," Nathan smiled softly, "He knows what he's doing."

"Where's everyone else?" Melissa sniffed and dabbed away her tear tracks.

"Uh, Taylor is off getting some first aid supplies and Eric is getting some water."

"I should be with Jackson," Melissa repeated, making a move towards the tent where he now rested.

"Melissa, wait," Nathan grasped his forearm, stopping her, "You know we're going to do everything that we can to make him better. We're not going to let him…" He paused, "After surviving the plane crash and everything else that we've been through, there's no way that we're going to let him down. He's our family. We're all family now."

She nodded, faintly smiling, and said, "Thank you." Melissa turned for the tent but stopped when she heard a shout from the other direction.

"HEY, GUYS!"

Nathan and Melissa spun around, watching as Eric exited the forest, followed shortly by…

_A man??_

Melissa's mouth dropped, her heart almost stopping as she saw the first sign of human life appear on the island. Eric was carrying a water jug, but his full attention was on the being that walked beside him. He grinned, turning to Nathan and Melissa who stood perplexed, and shouted,

"LOOK WHO I FOUND!"

-

review:)


	4. Note

**Author's Note:**

Hey everyone,

I'd like to begin by saying that, no, I haven't forgotten about you all, and that _I am so incredibly sorry _for not updating in _weeks_. However, I can promise you that I will have a new chapter up in a few days (it's finally vacation – I have some time!), so you'll be hearing from me soon! Tata for now (I'm off to start working on the new chapter)!

-a.lynne


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